It is known that vehicles have a tendency to breakdown at completely random times, often on a major thoroughfare or highway. It is also known that accidents often occur when the difference in speed between two vehicles is greatest. Of course, the worst case of this is a disabled car on a road with other vehicles traveling at the speed limit.
Distress signs have been developed to inform passing motorists that help is needed by a stranded motorist. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,151 to Dexter and U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,254 to Parish, Sr. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,151, a magnet is utilized to mount a vertical sign to the top of a vehicle, having a legend such as "Send Help. " U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,254 discloses an interchangeable sign exhibitor, where different words may be formed to convey a message from the stranded motorist.
However, these arrangements are merely message centers and do little to help avoid collisions with stationary vehicles. The U.S. Government has set guidelines for warning devices that are intended to improve the visibility of disabled vehicles. The Department of Transportation's Standard 125 recites the scope, application and purpose of warning devices for vehicles. Standard 125 relates to devices without self-contained energy sources that are designed to be carried in motor vehicles and used to warn approaching traffic of the presence of a stopped vehicle.
Standard 125 requires a triangle with specific size and color restrictions. A known device that conforms to Standard 125 is the free standing triangle that is usually seen behind disabled trucks. According to Standard 125, the triangle must be equilateral and from 17 to 22 inches on each side. The outermost 2 to 3 inches must be composed of two colored bands; the outer one being a red reflective material to improve night visibility and the inner band being an orange fluorescent material to improve visibility. The center section of the triangle is open, permitting the passage of wind.
However, the free-standing triangles have the disadvantages of requiring heavy mounting stands or bases, to prevent blowing away in the wind, and usually collapse to a size that can only be stored in the trunk of a car, where luggage and clutter can make them inaccessible. They are also positioned on the ground, while they would be more easily spotted if they were positioned nearer to driver eye level.
Thus, is an object of the invention to provide a portable, collapsible, highway emergency sign. It is another sign that conforms to Standard 125, is easily portable, and is collapsible so it can be stored in the glove compartment of a vehicle.
It is a further object of my invention to provide a safety sign that is flexible and can generally conform to the contours of various parts of a vehicle, depending on where the sign is attached to the vehicle.
Another object of my invention is to provide a safety sign that includes means for quickly attaching/detaching the sign to a vehicle.
A further object of my invention is to protect the warning indicia on the sign when not in use.
In accordance with my invention, a foldable emergency sign comprises a number of flat slats joined by flexible hinges. The slats carry warning indicia to alert passing motorists to the presence of the disabled vehicle. The slats are also provided with magnets for quick attachment and detachment from a vehicle. A supporting harness may be provided for attaching the emergency sign to the irregularly shaped areas of a vehicle.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment in conjunction with a review of the appended drawings.